Work, Wages, and Well-Being Understanding North Carolina’s Labor Market No matter what we look like or where we come from, we all deserve: Fulfilling work A living wage The freedom to thrive To know whether our economy and political systems are delivering on this vision, and to understand where we’re falling short, we need to…

Counties throughout North Carolina are gearing up to adjust to changes outlined in HR 1, or the One Big Beautiful Bill, which will cost local counties hundreds of thousands of dollars.  The bill mandates several changes to health and human services across the country, some of which have already gone into effect, and some of which will continue to roll out over the next several months. One of HR 1’s significant changes is to the operation of the federal Food and Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Starting Oct. 1, reimbursement rates for SNAP administration costs will reduce from 50% to 25%, and starting October 2027, North Carolina could be responsible for paying $140 million in SNAP benefit costs for the first time in the program’s history.

There will be much at stake in November when North Carolinians go to the polls.

This amendment would lock in a future cap to the rate of 3.5% with which North Carolina has no experience. Since the personal income tax provides one half of the revenue for the general fund of the state, this is a risky bet.

Local governments across North Carolina — from the mountains to the coast — face growing costs from inflation, changing needs, lagging infrastructure, and state and federal policy decisions that have pushed costs to their communities.  In November, voters will see a proposed change to the constitution on the ballot that could limit the ability of…

Millions in public dollars have gone toward maintaining NC 12. Now, North Carolina is weighing whether to keep repairing the vulnerable Outer Banks highway or pursue a much larger long-term investment.

Local governments across North Carolina — from the mountains to the coast — face growing costs from inflation, changing needs, lagging infrastructure, and state and federal policy decisions that have pushed costs to their communities.  In November, voters will see a proposed change to the constitution on the ballot that could limit the ability of…

Work, Wages, and Well-Being Understanding North Carolina’s Labor Market No matter what we look like or where we come from, we all deserve: Fulfilling work A living wage The freedom to thrive To know whether our economy and political systems are delivering on this vision, and to understand where we’re falling short, we need to…

Note: Here are links where you can access the budget bill and the committee report. You also can see how members of the NC Senate and NC House of Representatives voted on the approved budget. Unless otherwise noted, the analysis in this report reflects SB 257 (2026 Appropriations Act) and not the subsequently passed technical…

Note: Here are links where you can access the budget bill and the committee report. You also can see how members of the NC Senate and NC House of Representatives voted on the approved budget. Unless otherwise noted, the analysis in this report reflects SB 257 (2026 Appropriations Act) and not the subsequently passed technical…

Note: Here are links where you can access the budget bill and the committee report. You also can see how members of the NC Senate and NC House of Representatives voted on the approved budget. Unless otherwise noted, the analysis in this report reflects SB 257 (2026 Appropriations Act) and not the subsequently passed technical…

The Best States to Work Index (BSWI) surveys 37 labor policies across all 50 U.S. states, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico. Now in

Working people power the economy. Their labor delivers critical services to make all of our lives easier, creates new products and technologies, builds roads and infrastructure to connect us, and provides the care that heals our communities. If the economy is strong, it should support the people who make it possible.   But when policymakers choose…

Working people power the economy. Their labor delivers critical services to make all of our lives easier, creates new products and technologies, builds roads and infrastructure to connect us, and provides the care that heals our communities. If the economy is strong, it should support the people who make it possible.   But when policymakers choose…

Working people power the economy. Their labor delivers critical services to make all of our lives easier, creates new products and technologies, builds roads and infrastructure to connect us, and provides the care that heals our communities. If the economy is strong, it should support the people who make it possible.   But when policymakers choose…

North Carolina's budget sets technical requirements for a statewide digital credential system that closely resemble features offered by DigiCred.

Work, Wages, and Well-Being Understanding North Carolina’s Labor Market No matter what we look like or where we come from, we all deserve: Fulfilling work A living wage The freedom to thrive To know whether our economy and political systems are delivering on this vision, and to understand where we’re falling short, we need to…

Durham County officials say new requirements under H.R. 1 could place significant financial and administrative burdens on local SNAP operations.

North Carolina ranks among the states where financial security is most difficult to achieve, despite having a lower cost of living than many other parts of the country, according to a new ConsumerAffairs analysis.

As North Carolina’s public school students, teachers, administrators, and staff return to the classroom for another school year, tax cuts that have benefited the wealthy few and profitable corporations are shaping their experience and limiting their educational opportunities. It doesn’t have to be this way. North Carolina has the wealth to fund public education so…

Automatic License Plate Readers, ALPRs, have recently come under scrutiny. Police have considered them a force multiplier capable of solving serious crimes faster. Communities across the country, though, have raised privacy concerns regarding the technology. We'll look at how they're used here in the region.

Work, Wages, and Well-Being Understanding North Carolina’s Labor Market No matter what we look like or where we come from, we all deserve: Fulfilling work A living wage The freedom to thrive To know whether our economy and political systems are delivering on this vision, and to understand where we’re falling short, we need to…

Work, Wages, and Well-Being Understanding North Carolina’s Labor Market No matter what we look like or where we come from, we all deserve: Fulfilling work A living wage The freedom to thrive To know whether our economy and political systems are delivering on this vision, and to understand where we’re falling short, we need to…

Big tech is investing billions of dollars into data centers and the infrastructure needed to support the buildout. Meanwhile, instead of regulating this highly extractive industry and making corporations pay what they owe, some North Carolina lawmakers continue to slash away at income tax rates and barrel ahead to eliminate the corporate income tax entirely…

Big tech is investing billions of dollars into data centers and the infrastructure needed to support the buildout. Meanwhile, instead of regulating this highly extractive industry and making corporations pay what they owe, some North Carolina lawmakers continue to slash away at income tax rates and barrel ahead to eliminate the corporate income tax entirely…

Big tech is investing billions of dollars into data centers and the infrastructure needed to support the buildout. Meanwhile, instead of regulating this highly extractive industry and making corporations pay what they owe, some North Carolina lawmakers continue to slash away at income tax rates and barrel ahead to eliminate the corporate income tax entirely…

Big tech is investing billions of dollars into data centers and the infrastructure needed to support the buildout. Meanwhile, instead of regulating this highly extractive industry and making corporations pay what they owe, some North Carolina lawmakers continue to slash away at income tax rates and barrel ahead to eliminate the corporate income tax entirely…

Updated: June 22, 2026 The NC General Assembly has passed a bill to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot in November that, if approved by voters, would lower the maximum allowable income tax rate to 3.5 percent. The state constitution already limits the maximum income tax rate, but this new, even lower income tax cap would lock in tax…